News of the Weird: Russian ice swimming
By Zach Arnold | December 15, 2007
Meet Pavel Boloyangov, labeled ‘Ultimate Fighting World Champion’:
We fight without rules and get severe bruises all over the body. And winter swimming is the best way to get back into shape. It’s like a magic wand,” he says.
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Writers wanted for new Canadian MMA site
By Zach Arnold | December 14, 2007
Scott White (of MMA on Tap fame) is opening up a new Canadian MMA site called TKO Xtreme. He is looking for MMA writers who can help him out with Canadian-based MMA content. If you are in Canada and think you can be a contributor for his site, please use this contact form to talk to him.
Topics: Media, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The Associated Press on WAMMA
By Zach Arnold | December 14, 2007
“You have the beginnings of the sport, and we’re trying to help take the sport mainstream.”
WAMMA will release its first rankings on Monday and will include fighters from all organizations, even those that want no part of it. The alliance hopes to schedule its first world championship bout in mid-2008, and eventually help put together 20-25 title fights a year.
“I think there’s other potential there,” Szady continued, “and what I really believe is that if the UFC maintains the sport the way it is, I don’t know how long it will remain popular.”
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
More stupid human tricks
By Zach Arnold | December 14, 2007
You can always count on Ryan Gracie to bring the entertainment:
According to O Globo, a newspaper based in Sao Paulo that is one of Brazil’s largest, Ryan Gracie has been arrested for stealing a car.
The article alleges that Ryan Gracie stole a Toyota Corolla but soon after crashed it into a parking barrier. Gracie, who was armed with a kitchen knife, fled and attempted to hijack a moped from one of the city’s many couriers.
Today’s runner-up: Tristan Yunker, who recently did an interview with Jarry Park, failed to make weight for his fight tomorrow against Pete Spratt at the HDNet Fights event in Dallas.
Topics: Brazil, HDNet, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Quote of the Week – Eastside Boxing
By Zach Arnold | December 14, 2007
Yet another boxing writer shows his disdain for UFC:
Dana White was not able to transfer Jackson from a Mixed Martial Arts combatant into an international star after his victory over Liddell because he didn’t have a diverse enough audience to do so. To his credit, he will continue to sell UFC DVD’s next to WWE collections in Wal-Mart to the adolescence Caucasian youth who follow him, but he will never see an audience of 2.15 Million for a Pay Per View event. So the next time Mr. White is interviewed and is asked about his opinions on the sport of Boxing, let fans be reminded that he did not have enough cash in the bank to persuade Floyd Mayweather into the Octagon because Floyd’s star power is outside of the UFC’s reach and Floyd knows better than to follow a short lived trend rather than an ancient tradition.
You mean to tell me that Mayweather wasn’t backtracking on his anti-UFC stance after his win against De La Hoya?
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Bisping makes cut to 185 official
By Iain Liddle | December 14, 2007
Speaking to Ant Evans at UFC.com Michael Bisping has confirmed his intentions to drop down a wegith class from light heavyweight to the 185lb division.
Whilst having been speculated for a while, most fighters often require a loss to clairify their thoughts and it appears the recent loss to Rashad Evans was just the catalyst that ‘The Count’ needed.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Iain Liddle, Media, MMA, UFC, UK | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Quote of the Day – Chuck Norris
By Zach Arnold | December 14, 2007
Chuck Norris aims to start a fight:
“Watching UFC over the last 20 years, when fighters go to the ground, they have become so proficient in avoiding submissions so it becomes boring,” Norris said.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 12 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
CNBC’s underwhelming special on ‘Ultimate Fighting’
By Zach Arnold | December 13, 2007
CNBC is a financial cable TV network that prides itself on giving its viewing audience at home a global perspective on business.
Which is why the channel’s pitch for their one-hour MMA documentary, “Ultimate Fighting: From blood sport to big time,” was troubling from the outset. It was clear that CNBC’s viewpoint of mixed martial was was UFC = MMA. This is not Zuffa’s fault; rather, they should be given credit for their great marketing job in the media.
After watching the hour-long show, I came away disappointed in CNBC for the most part.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
‘War Machine’ goes to court
By Zach Arnold | December 13, 2007
According to an article just published by The San Diego Union-Tribune, Jon ‘War Machine’ Koppenhaver appeared in front of a Superior Court judge in San Diego regarding felony assault and battery charges filed (based on an incident that took place on September 2nd).
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Michigan finalizes plans for MMA regulation
By Zach Arnold | December 13, 2007
Article here from The Associated Press. The goal is for UFC to run future events in the state.
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The Mitchell Report
By Zach Arnold | December 13, 2007
It’s not fight industry-related, but it’s the story everyone is talking about. Here is the direct link to the PDF file of the Mitchell Report.
Figured I’d post this item on the site if anyone was interested in discussing it (and in no way is this purporting to be an MMA-related post.)
Here is the full list of names.
Topics: Media, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The WEC Ticket
By John Philapavage | December 13, 2007
WEC 31 tickets must have cost half a million dollars. That’s the only financially reasonable thing I can think after watching another Zuffa promoted WEC card out of The Hard Rock in Vegas. Keep in mind that this was the third WEC show at the 1,000 seat venue, and the last one on 9/5 was the highest rated. A .5 rating, well under a million viewers. Though I couldn’t find exact figures after a quick search, I can’t imagine a gate of over $250,000 in the last three shows. In fact, closer to $200,000 would be my high end guess for last night’s box office. Doug Marshall was running through the crowd in celebration of his quick arm bar victory, and I think he high-fived everyone there in about two minutes flat.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, John Philapavage, Media, MMA, WEC | 22 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday trash talk: IFL 12/29 card suffers setbacks
By Zach Arnold | December 13, 2007
Steve Cofield has a WEC post-fight event wrap-up on his site.
If you have not subscribed yet to our Fight Opinion Radio RSS feed, go sign up now. Next week, we will be preparing for our annual Christmas Show marathon special. Now’s the time to get on board and subscribe to the feed.
Abdul Mohamed is coming to the States to train with Randy Couture soon.
According to The Columbia Missourian, NCAA national champion wrestler Ben Askren is considering a move to MMA after his amateur wrestling career.
Both Dan Miller and Shad Lierley are off the IFL 12/29 Mohegan Sun Arena card.
K-1 is coming to Sazka Arena in Prague (Czech Republic) on December 15th. More information on the building here.
A local reporter’s perspective on Tommy Speer. Good read.
The WVR 3/5 Yoyogi event got a boost in talent today.
Notes from a FC Fighter interview that Stephane Patry recently participated in (audio here).
Topics: Canada, IFL, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, UFC, UK, WEC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |